Health Check-Ups & Prevention

Community Healthcare Program

– I was in the Navy. It was the greatest experience of my life. And one of those days they asked me if I wanted to go to Vietnam and everybody stepped back
and I stepped forward. (Laughing) (soothing music) But one day in the middle of night, I had a diabetic seizure. I could not walk. – The goal of the CHP program for McKinney fire department is to promote health and wellness
throughout the community. Also, enable people to
have a proactive lifestyle and gain independence. (music) The McKinney fire department developed the community health para
medicine program to help the citizens of the community. It puts another set of
eyes and ears out there, that can go out and seek
patients within out community, that needs a little extra help. The program itself focuses on patients with chronic medical conditions. That have re-occurring hospital stays or they have re-occurring 911 calls. We focus on this core group, and basically go into their home and help get them on the right path. The McKinney fire
department has been working side by side with local physicians to provide the best possible care for the citizens of McKinney. – So the program, we take patients who are feeling so ill that they have to call 911 recurrently or they are unable to access
medical care in such a way that keeps them from having to use the emergency department,
just to get basic care. People who previously, the only way they could
ask someone for help was to call 911. Now they can call our CHP program and we can determine, do
you need an ambulance? Do you need to go to the
emergency department? Or do you need to go see
your doctor tomorrow? And may be we can help
you get that appointment. – I was in the shape that I was I felt a very very alone. So by having the visits of the paramedics. It helped me realize that
I was gonna get better. – I’ve been with CHP for four years. I love my job. But, I really love being on this unit because we are able to touch more people. As a paramedic, you go see a patient, you run on a patient, you see him 15-20 minutes, you transport him to the hospital, and that’s it. You hardly ever see him again. This part of it made me wanna do it because you get more of an interaction. You see a patient on a regular basis. You get to know him. You get to see how it turns
out, from start to finish. – We try and do something to help a select set of patients, that were calling 911 over
and over and over again. Not because we didn’t
want them to call 911, but because we wanted to help them, not need to call 911. Because when you call 911, you’re gonna get a big
truck and an ambulance, because we always want
to be able to address any emergency that might have arisen. But if you call CHP and we can solve it, the more available 911
is to everyone else. – My health was improving. So once, they decided that my health was improving and I was improving myself. It went from once a week to every two weeks, the visits. And it’s been going on for almost a year. It seem like I’m a lot better. – Every patient we see
is like a family member. We get to know ’em, we know if not just them, their wives or husbands. Their kids. – But I had no idea. That they were able to help me. I know that if i have a
crash, they’re available. But in my case, my crash was
myself sitting on this chair. So, and I’m lucky to be alive. Thanks to the help line. They are like family. So, I feel like I know them. Just like I know a brother, sister. So, I feel like I’m protected,
that they have my back. (upbeat music)